Simple lip balm applicator

ABSTRACT

A simple applicator for a stick product, such as lip balm, includes a plastic hollow dome component with an open top and closed bottom and a main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom. Cooperating detachable fasteners releasably connect the components together. A flip top lid has a living hinge connection to the main body component to close its open top. A hollow interior space of the main body has a larger volume than that of the dome. There is sufficient stick product in the interior space so that after the stick product in the dome is depleted the applicator can be exposed to external energy, such as from a conventional microwave oven, to cause the stick product in the interior space to become fluid and flow into and refill the dome with stick product.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/392,964 filed Jun. 16, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

In PCT/IB2015/053286 (also U.S. Ser. No. 15/330,500 and Published Application 2017/0007003 published Jan. 12, 2017) a novel applicator for semi-solid materials (stick products), such as lip balm, is disclosed which has many advantages over conventional lip balm applicators, or the like. However, there are some circumstances when a simpler and less expensive applicator is desirable, and according to the present invention such an applicator is provided, as well as a method of filling and performing a refilling operation using the applicator.

According to one aspect of the invention, the applicator is preferably molded from plastic as two components, a main body component, and a dome component.

The dome component is desirably substantially circular in cross-section, has a hollow interior, has closed sides (typically formed by a continuous curved sidewall), a closed bottom, and an open top. The periphery of the top is defined by external screw threads or a similar fastening mechanism.

The main body component comprises a one-piece hollow container (also preferably substantially circular in cross-section) defining an interior space with an open bottom, open top, and closed sidewalls (typically a continuous curved sidewall). At the open bottom internal screw threads, or a similar fastening mechanism, are provided which cooperate with the external screw threads on the dome.

Unlike other simple applicators, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,667, the open top of the main body component is closed by a flip top lid, which has a pivot connection, preferably a living hinge, to the main body component. The flip top lid insures that the lid is not misplaced, has advantages in the manufacture of the applicator, and provides other benefits. There is at least one pair, and preferably a plurality of (e. g. three) pairs, of locking elements in the form of a tab, and a recess, to releasably hold the flip top lid in a closed position. Alternatively the lid can be permanently fixed in place after filling of the main body component.

The flip top lid is moved to an open position to allow semi-solid material (stick product) in a highly flowable form to flow into the main body component, and to contact the interior surface of the dome. The semi-solid material (e. g. lip balm) then cools/hardens/cures into place within the dome and main body component, and the flip top lid is closed once the semi-solid material has cooled/hardened/cured in place within the dome and main body component.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a semi-solid material applicator comprising: A plastic hollow dome component with an open top, closed curved sidewall, and closed bottom. A plastic main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom, the hollow interior space having a volume at least as large as the volume of the dome component. Cooperating detachable fasteners provided on the main body component and the dome component for releasably connecting the components together. And wherein the dome component interior and the main body component interior space are substantially filled with a stick product, such as lip balm.

According to yet another aspect of the invention there is provided a method of performing a re-filling operation of the applicator which is initially filled with a reservoir of semi-solid material within the main component interior space. The reservoir is a significant amount (preferably at least the volume of the applicator dome) of the semi-solid material that does not fill the dome when the applicator is initially filled. In this method, the applicator is placed in a position so that the dome is on the bottom, then the applicator is subjected to external energy so that the reservoir of semi-solid material becomes readily flowable and substantially fills the applicator dome without the applicator itself being adversely affected. Finally, the applicator is allowed to rest so that the semi-solid material re-hardens. The method is preferably practiced so that the semi-solid material (stick product) is lip balm, and/or so that the external energy supplied is microwave radiation from a conventional residential microwave oven or the like.

It is the primary object of the present invention to provide an advantageous simple applicator for a semi-solid material/stick product (such as lip balm), and a method of filling the applicator so that the ultimate user may functionally re-fill the applicator by her/his self in her/his home environment. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from a detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a right side view of an exemplary simple applicator according to the invention with the dome component connected to the main body component and the flip top lid closing the open top of the main body component;

FIG. 2 is a view like that of FIG. 1 but with the flip top lid open;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the applicator of FIG. 2 before filling with semi-solid material (e. g. a stick product such as lip balm);

FIG. 4 is an isometric cross-sectional view of the applicator of FIG. 1 schematically showing semi-solid material when the applicator is initially filled;

FIG. 5 is a view like that of FIG. 4 only with the flip top open (as in FIG. 2) and without the schematic showing of the semi-solid material;

FIG. 6 is a side cross-sectional view of the exemplary applicator of FIG. 1 and with the semi-solid material schematically shown after substantial depletion of the material that was initially in the dome component after use and before practice of the method according to the invention of the user re-filling the dome with stick product from the reservoir;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of an exemplary applicator according to the invention with the main body component, with flip top lid closed, sitting on a surface so that the lip balm or similar semi-solid material extends outwardly from the top thereof, and with the dome removed and sitting next to the main body component; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing practice of an exemplary method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The main body component of an exemplary applicator 10 according to the invention is shown generally by reference numeral 11 in FIGS. 1-7, and the dome component is shown by reference numeral 12. The body 11 includes a flip top lid, shown generally by reference numeral 13. The elements 11 and 13 are integrally molded out of plastic, such as polypropylene, and the main body component 11 and the flip top lid 13 are connected together by a pivot, preferably a living hinge 14. Living hinges are well known per se, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,283,658 and 6,474,345, and in U S Published Patent Application 2011/0024316.

The flip top lid 13 may be held in the closed position of FIGS. 1, 4, & 6 by at least one set of a locking tab 16 and recess 18 (and preferably a plurality of sets, such as three). As perhaps best seen in FIG. 5, the locking tabs 16 are shown integrally molded with the body 11 while the recesses 18 are formed in the periphery of the lid 13, although that could be reversed (i. e. tabs 16 in the lid 13, recesses 18 in the body 11). The recesses 18 are aligned with the tabs 16 when the lid 13 is closed (FIG. 1) and the recesses 18 are slightly larger than, and substantially the same shape as, the tabs 16. The tabs 16 are small and resilient enough to deflect into the recesses 18 when the lid 13 is pressed into the closed position about pivot 14. The relative constructions of the tabs 16 and recesses 18 may be such that once the lid 13 is closed it cannot be opened again without the use of a tool, or alternatively so that lid 13 can be opened again relatively easily.

As yet another alternative, instead of the tabs 16 and recesses 18 the lid can be sealed in place once the interior of the main body 11 has been filled with semi-solid material. Sealing can be by ultrasonic or laser welding, adhesive, or any other suitable conventional technique.

The main body component 11 comprises a one-piece hollow container (preferably substantially circular in cross-section as readily seen in FIGS. 3-7) defining (see FIGS. 5 & 6 in particular) an interior space 21 with an open bottom 22, open top 23, and closed sidewalls 24 (the sidewalls 24 being one continuous circular cross-section side wall in the exemplary embodiment illustrated). At the open bottom 22 internal screw threads, or a similar fastening mechanism, 26 are provided which cooperate with the external screw threads 28 (see FIG. 7) on the dome component 12.

Located near the open bottom 22 of the main body 11—as seen in FIGS. 3-6—in the interior space 21 are a plurality (e. g. three or four) of struts 30, or a comparable support structure (such as the grid 15 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,667), which help keep the semi-solid material (shown schematically at S in FIGS. 4 & 6, and in solid line in FIG. 7) in place once it solidifies.

The dome component 12 of the applicator 10 made be molded of a durable high temperature resistant transparent thermoplastic material, such as styrene acrylonitrile (SAN). As seen in FIGS. 4-7 the curved interior sidewall surface 34 thereof defines a hollow interior 36. The bottom 37 is also closed (and preferably has a flattened portion as seen most clearly in FIG. 6)), and the top 38 is open (see FIG. 7). Just like the main body 11, the dome 12 preferably has a substantially circular cross-section, most visible in FIGS. 6 & 7.

While screw threads 26, 28 are the preferred cooperating structures for releasably fastening the components 11, 12 together, other conventional fastening elements may be utilized, such as bayonet couplings and press-fit, snap-fit, or interference-fit, components. Also, alternatively, the screw threads 28 may be internal and the cooperating screw threads 26 external.

In the method of filling the applicator 10, as indicated schematically by box 42 in FIG. 8, with the flip top lid 13 open and the dome component 12 screwed into place closing the open bottom 22 of the main body 11 (FIG. 2), the stick product S in readily flowable form (e. g. having been heated) is introduced (e. g. poured) into the main body 11 interior space 21 through the open top 23 thereof. The semi-solid material S fills the dome 12 hollow interior 36 and most (e. g. substantially all) of the interior space 21, the interior space 21 providing a reservoir of semi-solid material that preferably is at least as large as the volume 36 of the dome 12 plus that volume of the space 21 that includes the struts 30.

As the flowable semi-solid material cools or otherwise hardens or cures, it does not adhere to the interior sidewall 34 of the dome 12, but rather extends exteriorly of and upwardly from the main body 11 when the dome 12 is unscrewed, as illustrated by reference character S in FIG. 7. The struts 30 help to hold the cooled/cured/hardened stick product S in place. The lip balm or other stick product S initially has the same shape as the interior sidewall 34 of the dome 12, but of course the shape will change as the lip balm S is used up, as schematically illustrate in FIG. 6.

According to the method of FIG. 8, when the ultimate consumer has effectively used up the semi-solid material S that was initially in the dome 12, and it no longer has the configuration illustrated in FIG. 7 but rather has a depleted configuration such as that schematically illustrated in FIG. 6, the reservoir of material in the component 11 “above” the struts 30 in the interior space 21 can be made to “refill” the operative part of the applicator, re-forming the material S so that it is in approximately the same useable form as it was originally (i. e. as illustrated in FIG. 7).

As schematically illustrated by box 44 in FIG. 8, the applicator 10 is oriented so that the dome 12 is at the bottom (as seen in FIGS. 1, 2, and 4-6). It may be so positioned by resting the flattened bottom 37 of the dome 12 on a surface, or alternatively a sleeve, rack, or other conventional holding/positioning device may be used to orient it. Then applicator 10 is subjected to external energy, as schematically illustrated by box 46 in FIG. 8, so that the semi-solid material in the interior space 21 flows past the struts 30 and enters the dome 12, while not adversely affecting either the dome 12 or the main body component 11. After allowing time for cooling, curing, or other hardening of the semi-solid material, as indicated by box 48 in FIG. 8, the stick product takes essentially the form S as seen in FIG. 7 with only enough semi-solid material left in the interior space 21 to substantially fully envelope the struts 30.

One desirable way that this “re-filling” operation of box 46 may be practiced, particularly when the semi-solid material is lip balm, the dome 28 is of SAN, and the main body 11 of polypropylene, is to place the applicator 10 in a conventional residential microwave oven, with the dome 12 on the bottom. Then the microwave is operated at a relatively low power, for a short time (e. g. middle level power for 45-90 seconds). This causes the lip balm to flow into the dome 12, with a sufficient amount provided so as to envelope the struts 30, to reform, after cooling, to substantially the configuration S in FIG. 7, without in any way adversely affecting the material of the dome 12 or component 11.

While the use of a residential microwave oven is ideal for this situation, other external energy sources could be used, depending upon the particular semi-solid material, and the material of construction of the dome 12 and component 11, including sound, light (e. g. laser), and magnetic energy.

Once the material S has been reformed as illustrated in FIG. 7 it may be used as it was originally, applied to desired human body parts, as schematically illustrated by box 50 in FIG. 8.

That is, according to the method schematically illustrated in FIG. 8 there is provided a method of performing filling and re-filling operations of a semi-solid material applicator 10, the applicator having a main body component 11 having an open top 23 closeable by a lid 13 and an open interior space 21, and a hollow dome component 12 releasably connected to the main body component, and wherein the volume of the open interior space 21 is at least as large as the volume 36 of the hollow dome component 12. The method comprises: a) Introducing stick product S (such as lip balm) in readily flowable form through the open top 23 of the main body component 11 into the open interior space 21 and the hollow dome component interior 36 so as to substantially fill the open interior space and hollow dome component (FIG. 4); then closing the open top of the main body component using the lid 13 (42 in FIG. 8). b) Allowing the stick product to cool/cure/harden in the main body and dome components (again 42) so that it has the configuration S of FIG. 7. c) After significant depletion of the stick product S in the dome component 12 (as seen in FIG. 6), orienting the applicator so that the dome component is below the main body component (44 in FIG. 8). d) Applying external energy (e. g. from a conventional microwave oven) to the stick product in the open interior space 21 so that it flows from the open interior space into the hollow dome component 12 (enveloping the struts 30) to re-fill the dome component 12 (46 in FIG. 8). And. e) allowing the stick product to cool/cure/harden in the dome component 12 (48 in FIG. 8) so that it is ready for use (50 in FIG. 8), with substantially the configuration S illustrated in FIG. 7.

For the purposes of the method, the lid 13 of the type illustrated in the drawings can be replaced by the bistable base cap of said Published U S Application 2017/0007033, or any other suitable type of closure, and the term “lid” in the method is intended to encompass all such structures.

While it desirable that the interior space 21 be of sufficient volume for only one “re-fill” of the applicator 10, under some circumstances the main body 11 may be elongated so that the interior space 21 is sufficient to hold a reservoir of stick product sufficient for two, or even more, “re-fills,” in which case the procedures in boxes 44, 46, 48 & 50 will be repeated more than once. Any suitable material, preferably a plastic, may be used for the components 11, 28; and any suitable semi-solid material/stick product, such as skin balm, lip gloss, lipstick, lip balm, blush, deodorant, or other cosmetic materials, may be provided as the material S.

While the invention has been herein shown and described in a practical and preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that the invention should be given the broadest interpretation of the appended claims consistent with the prior art to encompass all equivalent structures and methods. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A semi-solid material applicator comprising: a plastic hollow dome component with an open top, closed curved sidewall, and closed bottom; a plastic main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom; cooperating detachable fasteners provided on said main body component and said dome component for releasably connecting said components together; and a flip top lid having a pivotal connection to said main body component and integrally molded therewith for movement between an open position uncovering the open top of said hollow interior space, and a closed position covering the open top of said hollow interior space.
 2. An applicator as recited in claim 1 wherein said pivotal connection comprises a living hinge.
 3. An applicator as recited in claim 1 further comprising at least one set of locking tabs and recesses formed on and in said main body adjacent said open top thereof, and said flip top lid periphery, for holding said main body and flip top lid together in said closed position.
 4. An applicator as recited in claim 3 wherein said pivotal connection comprises a living hinge.
 5. An applicator as recited in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of struts in said interior space adjacent said open bottom of said main body component which help hold a cooled/cured/hardened semi-solid material mass to the interior of said main body component and extending outwardly from said main body component when said dome component is detached from said main body component.
 6. An applicator as recited in claim 5 wherein said hollow interior space has a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component.
 7. An applicator as recited in claim 1 wherein said cooperating detachable fasteners are cooperating screw threads.
 8. An applicator as recited in claim 1 wherein said dome is made of SAN, and wherein said main body component and said flip top lid are integrally molded of polypropylene.
 9. An applicator as recited in claim 1 wherein said hollow interior space has a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component.
 10. An applicator as recited in claim 2 wherein said hollow interior space has a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component.
 11. An applicator as recited in claim 9 wherein said closed bottom of said dome component has a flattened portion so that said dome component may be supported by a flat surface with said main body component extending upwardly therefrom.
 12. An applicator as recited in claim 11 wherein said dome component interior and said main body component interior space are substantially filled with a stick product selected from the group consisting essentially of lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, skin balm, blush, and deodorant.
 13. A semi-solid material applicator comprising: a plastic hollow dome component with an open top, closed curved sidewall, and closed bottom; a plastic main body component with closed side walls defining a hollow interior space, an open top, and an open bottom, said hollow interior space having a volume at least as large as the volume of said dome component; cooperating detachable fasteners provided on said main body component and said dome component for releasably connecting said components together; and wherein said dome component interior and said main body component interior space are substantially filled with a stick product.
 14. An applicator as recited in claim 13 wherein said stick product is selected from the group consisting essentially of lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, skin balm, blush, and deodorant.
 15. An applicator as recited in claim 13 wherein said closed bottom of said dome component has a flattened portion so that said dome component may be supported by a flat surface with said main body component extending upwardly therefrom.
 16. A method of performing filling and re-filling operations of a semi-solid material applicator, the applicator having a main body component having an open top closeable by a lid and an open interior space, and a hollow dome component releasably connected to the main body component, and wherein the volume of the main body component is at least as large as the volume of the dome component, said method comprising: a) introducing stick product in readily flowable form through the open top of the main body component into the open interior space and the hollow dome component so as to substantially fill the open interior space and hollow dome component, then closing the open top of the main body component using the lid; b) allowing the stick product to cool/cure/harden in the main body and dome components; c) after significant depletion of the stick product in the dome component orienting the applicator so that the dome component is below the main body component; d) applying external energy to the stick product in the open interior space so that it flows from the open interior space into the hollow dome component to re-fill the dome component; and e) allowing the stick product to cool/cure/harden in the dome component so that it is ready for use.
 17. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein d) is practiced by supplying microwave radiation from a conventional residential microwave oven as the external energy.
 18. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein the main body component has a plurality of struts adjacent the open bottom thereof which help hold stick product in the applicator; and wherein d) is practiced so that the flowing stick product substantially completely envelopes the struts.
 19. A method as recited in claim 17 wherein a)-e) are practiced using as the stick product a material selected from the group consisting essentially of lip balm, lip gloss, lipstick, skin balm, blush, and deodorant.
 20. A method as recited in claim 16 wherein the applicator lid is pivotally connected to the main body component, and wherein a) is practiced in part by pivoting the lid into a closed position with respect to the main body component and substantially permanently affixing the lid in the closed position. 